Triumph Of The Gospel

Monday, December 17, 2012

"This is our first task, caring for our children. It’s our first job.
If we don’t get that right, we don’t get anything right. That’s how, as a
society, we will be judged.

And by that measure, can we truly say, as a nation, that we’re meeting our obligations? Can we honestly say that we’re doing enough to keep our children, all of them, safe from harm?

Can we claim, as a nation, that we’re all together there, letting them know they are loved and teaching them to love in return?

Can
we say that we’re truly doing enough to give all the children of this
country the chance they deserve to live out their lives in happiness and
with purpose?" -President Obama, Newtown, CT : 12.16.2012

As he continued saying that inaction on our part is inexcusable, I felt as though he must be building up to something. Surely, at any moment, as he is holding back tears over this atrocity, he is going to finally come out and say that he would no longer endorse a woman's right to kill her unborn child. Surely, he is about to say these unborn children also "deserve to live out their lives in happiness and with purpose."

...but he didn't.

In answer to his rhetorical questions above, I must agree with how the president answered: "If we’re honest with ourselves, the answer’s no. We’re not doing enough. And we will have to change" because as the president said about the Newtown killings, so could also be said about abortions: "What choice do we have? We can’t accept events like this as routine."

So, we feel grief over the 20 children unjustly murdered last Friday, and we feel grief for the 3,100 unborn children unjustly murdered every day. Unfortunately, the latter is permitted by our government and no one wears ribbons in their honor.

------------------------------------------One last note for anyone who has had an abortion:The blood of Jesus is sufficient to pay for any blood that you have spilled. Turn to Him and find forgiveness. Hope in Him and find life.

And for the rest of you:The blood of Jesus is sufficient to pay for your sins, which are still many. Turn to Him and find forgiveness. Hope in Him and find life.

Sunday, December 2, 2012

He is faithful. Faithfulness trancends time. He has never been unfaithful to me and never will be unfaithful. Do you understand this? Always faithful. Do I understand this? I must repeat this to myself constantly: "God is faithful. God, You are faithful." The Lord is my security and my rock. No one is faithful, but God. Others will fail at times, but He never will. "In Him, there is no darkness at all." God has never deceived me. He has never had a hidden motive. He is always good. God is the perfectly persistent one. When I think of my own doubting heart, I know He has been perfectly persistent towards me. When I was a slave to the deception of my sin, God sought me and showed me the greatness of His love in Christ Jesus, who died for sinners. Since then, He has again and again shown me that He is the faithful one in this relationship. Though I've grown in righteousness, I still have times of doubting His everlasting love towards me. I have to ask myself, "In this moment right now, in the reality of this and that, do I understand the love of God, in Christ Jesus, will never leave me?" In the midst of confusion, it is His great faithfulness that gets me to sleep.

He is all my hope and peace. This means that no matter what comes my way tomorrow or the next day, I can be thankful for the faithfulness of God.*

Saturday, May 19, 2012

"Help Me" by Johnny Cash (written by Larry Gatlin) - is a song that exemplifies the condition of man. This is the cry of our soul. We have nothing to offer God. The lyrics are simple and are similar to the tax collector's prayer of Luke 18:13. "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!" This prayer is not just for the atheist in need of salvation, but for all men and women, everywhere, in every moment of their lives. If God has not done so yet, may God break your spirit to cry out to Him, and to continue to do so as long as you have breath.

"Lover" by Derek Webb - is a song that exemplifies the heart of God. He sees our condition and He acts. He sees our need for a Savior, and He comes to save... and He is resolved to do so. The lyrics are from the perspective of Jesus, and are a beautiful reminder of God's love for us. If you are broken and cry out to God for help, be assured that He hears you. I found comfort when God answered my cry for help in salvation. Yet, I find more comfort knowing God continues to answer my cry for His help, for if He took His hand away from me, I would surely wander away in an instant.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

I have officially spent half of my life without him in this
world. Time presses forward like a freight train.

Cancer – My brother was just a kid when he was diagnosed
with cancer. He spent the next three years in and out of hospitals. He had a
disease that was destroying his body. The doctor’s could only prolong his life,
but the cancer would inevitably kill him. I do not know what it must have been
like to suffer as he did, but it was painful to watch him suffer.

Cancer is a killer, though he had a disease much worse than any tumor. He had a disease no man can cure. There was something else wrong inside of him that had already killed him.
Kevin, like the rest of us, was a broken man. He was dead in his sins. Please
know that as the little kid who wanted so much to be like his older brother, I
do not say this lightly, but I say it in truth: One beautiful
thing about his cancer was that, through it, the Lord saved him. God, who is rich in mercy,
reconciled my brother to Himself. My brother Kevin died long before that dreadful
Wednesday morning in the hospital bed. Through faith and repentance, Kevin died with Christ and
rose with Christ as a new creation. Though he still had cancer, which was
destroying his body, he was cured of the disease that was destroying his soul.

Death – After three years, at the age of 16, the Lord
took Kevin. But I do not grieve as the world grieves. Scripture reminds us to
have hope when our fellow believers die. Yes, Kevin was my brother because we
shared the Carmack/Huron family blood. But a truth that is even more comforting is
that Kevin will always be my brother. He is my brother because we share the
blood of Christ, which saves sinners. The blood of Jesus provides a family bond
stronger and longer than any earthly blood tie.

Glory – My brother is no angel. He has no wings. He is
not floating on clouds. He is much more than this. Jesus didn’t die for the
angels. He didn’t die so we could spend eternity playing a harp and singing
songs. What is he doing then? Well, I don’t exactly know, but I am confident of
this: my brother is experiencing the joy of the presence of the Lord beyond
anything imaginable. One day, when Jesus returns, my brother will receive glory with Christ, rising with a body that is imperishable and undefiled.
He will have a body that will never get sick or decay. We will meet again. We will look back on our 12-70 years of separation and
wonder how it went by so quickly. We will rejoice in the Lord that He manifested
His glory through our salvation. Though there was nothing good in and of
ourselves, the Lord showed His grace to us through Jesus.

So, yes, I grieve in remembrance of him, but I do not grieve
as one who has no hope. I ask you… when you die, will your friends and family
have something to hope in? Will they be able to say with confidence that you
are in heaven with the Lord? How can you have this confidence? All who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Turn to Christ, my friend.

We all have a disease that is killing both our body and our
soul. Your sin is killing you. All of our bodies will one day fall in death.
Will your soul also fall into eternal death? Or will you drink of the blood of
Christ, which was poured out for sinners and eat of the flesh of Christ, which
was broken for sinners? Will you suffer and die with Christ, that you may also be
raised in glory with Him?

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

What am I but dust in need of Your great mercy?What can I give that's not already Yours?Empty hands before the God of allBowing, onto my face I fall.Did I choose to live in that secret place?Will I choose to tell my heart to stop?But a breath that passes byI'll join the rest of them that dieDo I know more than the Ancient of Days?Do I question the source of all light?Too old to know Your olderToo high to see Your higherOh Father, my Father, Listen to Your son.I have nothing to bring,but a plea for your love.You are my King, And of You, I will singYes, I will sing,for You are my delight,Once I was foolish,Now, I am saved.In Christ, sin atoned and paid,Died in Him and In Him raised.When I choose to water the bitter seed,Let me think of Your Son and what more I need.Universe, by the Word of Your mouthYou hold all things together everywhereAnd I worry about tomorrow?I praise Your WonderWhat am I but dust in need of Your great mercy?

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

"A young man, whom he had known as a boy, came to an aged
Professor of a distinguished continental University, with a face beaming
with delight, and informed him that the long and fondly-cherished desire of
his heart was at length fulfilled- his parents having given their consent to
his studying the profession of the law. As the University presided over by
his friend was a distinguished one, he had repaired to its law school, and
was resolved to spare no labor or expense in getting through his studies as
quickly and ably as possible. In this strain he continued for some time; and
when he paused, the old man, who had been listening to him with great
patience and kindness, gently said, "Well! and when you have finished your
career of study, what do you mean to do then?" "Then I shall take my
degree," answered the young man. "And then?" asked his venerable friend. "And then," continued the youth, "I shall have a number of difficult and
knotty cases to manage: shall attract notice by my eloquence, and wit, and
acuteness, and win a great reputation." "And then?" repeated the holy man. "And then!" replied the youth, "why then there cannot be a question- I shall
be promoted to some high office in the state, and I shall become rich." "And
then?" "And then," pursued the young lawyer, "then I shall live comfortably
and honorably in wealth and respect, and look forward to a quiet and happy
old age." "And then?" repeated the old man. "And then," said the youth, "and
then- and then- and then I shall die." Here his venerable listener lifted up
his voice, and again asked, with solemnity and emphasis– "And then?"
Whereupon the aspiring student made no answer, but cast down his head, and
in silence and thoughtfulness retired. This last "And then?" had pierced his
heart like a sword- had darted like a flash of lightning into his soul, and
he could not dislodge the impression." -Octavius Winslow (book: "No Condemnation in Christ Jesus")